The invention relates to a device for reducing sloshing of fuel in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle, having at least one slosh-inhibiting element.
A device of this type is frequently used in motor vehicles nowadays and is known in practice. Generally, a plurality of slosh-inhibiting elements are manufactured integrally with the bottom of the fuel tank or are welded thereto and reduce the speed of the fuel flowing to and fro, for example as the motor vehicle is cornering.
A disadvantage of the known device is that a mold of complicated design is required for the integral manufacturing of the fuel tank together with the slosh-inhibiting element. For example, slides and cores of the mold shape are required for recesses to be arranged in the slosh-inhibiting element. This results in a particularly cost-intensive manufacturing of the device.
The invention is based on the problem of designing a device of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that it can be produced in a particularly simple manner.
This problem is solved according to the invention in that the slosh-inhibiting element is designed as a component which is to be manufactured separately from the fuel tank and can be fitted through an installation opening of the fuel tank.
This design enables the fuel tank to be produced in a particularly simple manner from shaped parts of simple construction by blow molding, deep drawing or by injection molding. As a result, the device according to the invention can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively. Since the installation opening is generally present in any case for the installation of a feed unit, an additional structural outlay on the fuel tank is avoided by the subsequent installation of the slosh-inhibiting element.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the installation opening for the installation of the slosh-inhibiting element can be designed to be particularly small if the slosh-inhibiting element can be moved from an installation position of small dimensions into an operational position of large dimensions in relation to the installation position. The small dimensions of the installation opening result in the restricting of fuel emissions through seals of a flange closing the installation opening. Similarly, the small dimensions of the installation opening contribute to a particularly low structural outlay for the fuel tank.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the securing of the slosh-inhibiting element within the fuel tank requires a particularly low structural outlay if the slosh-inhibiting element is fastened to a flange closing the installation opening of the fuel tank.
The slosh-inhibiting element could, for example, be bonded or welded in the fuel tank. However, according to another advantageous development of the invention, the installation of the slosh-inhibiting element turns out to be particularly simple if the slosh-inhibiting element and the wall of the fuel tank have latching means which correspond to one another.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the slosh-inhibiting element fitted in the fuel tank has particularly high stability if it has stabilizing parts and/or fastening parts for the securing of at least one slosh-inhibiting part.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the slosh-inhibiting element is moved reliably into the designated position in the fuel tank if the slosh-inhibiting part is manufactured from a shape memory material.
The manufacturing costs of the device according to the invention are further reduced if the slosh-inhibiting element is prestressed into the installation position.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the slosh-inhibiting element turns out to be particularly small dimensions in the installation position if the slosh-inhibiting part is manufactured from an elastic material.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the slosh-inhibiting element turns out to be particularly compact in the installation position if it is designed such that it can be rolled up.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the manufacturing costs of the slosh-inhibiting element are further reduced if the slosh-inhibiting part is mounted pivotably on the fastening part.
The slosh-inhibiting element could be moved into the designated positions with a pulling mechanism or a lever device, for example. However, the movement of the slosh-inhibiting element requires a particularly low structural outlay if the fastening part has a guide element for moving the slosh-inhibiting part from the installation position into the operational position.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the slosh-inhibiting element is held particularly reliably in the fuel tank by a spring element for prestressing the slosh-inhibiting element against the bottom of the fuel tank.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the stabilizing element turns out to be particularly compact if the fastening part can be adjusted telescopically and has a spring element.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, a low weight of the slosh-inhibiting element can be achieved by means of a plurality of slosh-inhibiting parts arranged one above another at a designated distance from one another.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, a low weight with simultaneously high surge inhibition can be achieved in a simple manner if the slosh-inhibiting part is designed as a band of wide design corresponding to the height of the fuel tank with recesses arranged therein.